Hornline Brand Change?

[DoctorNik]

I marched for three years and played on four different horns.

me too,, but,, they were

soprano

mellophone

baritone and contra

soprano and contra in the same year,, two different corps

cant' remember the brand name,, but they were silver, the sops had two valves,, everything else had one valve and a rotary,, and they were tuned to G

funny thing,, i'm still playing a bari,, with three valves now,, but still in key of G

[Bariphonium07]

Yes, of course, but only in a sense that "more in tune" means "closer" to the goal. (For my money, it's in tune or it's not...no such thing as "more or less" in tune within a defined context, such as Western Music based on Harmonic Series)

Sooooo, without getting out my spreadsheet, I'll tell you that B played (123) requires ~4.5" of "slidepull" somewhere (extra ~9" needed), assuming 1V tuned to perfect Ab, 2V to A, and 3V to G.

With B played (24), assuming the 4V is tuned to perfect F, and 2V is tuned to perfect A, you need 2" of slidepull (4" total) added to the horn to get it in tune with Equal Temperament.

I'm sure puffy-chested tuba players here will say "so what? Did it for years; Just lip it; that's life, blah blah blah" I get all that. I play tuba for cryin' out loud. I've never played anything but Contra in drum corps. But I'm first and foremost a bass trombone player, who gets EVERY NOTE for "free" by blowing straight through the horn and altering its length slightly as needed. It makes for a cleaner sound. Professional Tuba instruments have more valves, and/or a real-time way of easily changing the 1st valve slide length or the 3rd valve length. I don't want more valves on a marching instrument...this is drum corps, not Alpine Symphony. But I *DO* want a real-time adjustable slide or two. Why hasn't that made it to the marching side?

So I'm on a mission to get Tuba manufacturers up to speed with that concpet. To hell with 4th valve, I say. Gimme real-time adjustable 3rd valve, up to 4.5" and I'm fine. The horn will be lighter and cheaper, sheesh.

just as a question wouldnt an equal tempered horn be out of "perfect" tuning with it self....in regards to the 12 tone equal temperment of a piano...to me it feels like it would be easier to temper up and down a few cents when not in equal temperment because it makes you actually have to listen more...there for only wind instruments and voices can be in "Perfect tuning within the chord structure" unlike a piano....just wonderin....correct me if im wrong...

[funkrocker049]

just as a question wouldnt an equal tempered horn be out of "perfect" tuning with it self....in regards to the 12 tone equal temperment of a piano...to me it feels like it would be easier to temper up and down a few cents when not in equal temperment because it makes you actually have to listen more...there for only wind instruments and voices can be in "Perfect tuning within the chord structure" unlike a piano....just wonderin....correct me if im wrong...

The "ideal" is to have equal half-steps throughout the range of the horn. Even if your horn is perfectly "in tune with itself" you would still need to listen and adjust according to the needs of the chord (i.e. lower the 3rd, raise the 5th, blah, blah...)

[Bruckner8]

just as a question wouldnt an equal tempered horn be out of "perfect" tuning with it self....in regards to the 12 tone equal temperment of a piano...to me it feels like it would be easier to temper up and down a few cents when not in equal temperment because it makes you actually have to listen more...there for only wind instruments and voices can be in "Perfect tuning within the chord structure" unlike a piano....just wonderin....correct me if im wrong...

The Equal Temp I'm talkin' about is the chromatic scale we're descending when adding valves....Bb, A, Ab, G, Gb, F, E, etc...

Also, Tubas are on the root of the chord 90% of the time, as is all Western Music...we love our big fat major chords, especially in Drum Corps. This discussion is NOT about how to tune a chord, or the fact that the rest of the notes above each fundamental in the series is NOT in equal temperment.

We're merely trying to get as many fundamental combinations of valves as possible for "free," with Free being defined as ET in this case. From there we can temper accordingly within a defined harmonic context....which is root position major chords 90% of the time.

[Bariphonium07]

The Equal Temp I'm talkin' about is the chromatic scale we're descending when adding valves....Bb, A, Ab, G, Gb, F, E, etc...

Also, Tubas are on the root of the chord 90% of the time, as is all Western Music...we love our big fat major chords, especially in Drum Corps. This discussion is NOT about how to tune a chord, or the fact that the rest of the notes above each fundamental in the series is NOT in equal temperment.

We're merely trying to get as many fundamental combinations of valves as possible for "free," with Free being defined as ET in this case. From there we can temper accordingly within a defined harmonic context....which is root position major chords 90% of the time.

ok thanks now i get waht you are saying.... sorry about the confusion.

[JayM]

I believe the deal was that a new horn was brought in only once an old horn was sold. In my first season (2003) I played a horn from 2002 until about 2/3 of the way through the season, when my horn was sold. I got a new horn then, and the following two seasons I brought home a new horn from audition camp.

[TrumpetJ]

Rumor has it to save money BDB is switching to these horns

It saves them money, and everyone gets a fresh horn every day or two haha.